REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Get ready to play in 3D! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 3 for 3DS will be available for purchase for the Nintendo 3DS™ beginning this week. As a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS, The Sims 3 is in stores March 25th across Europe and Australia and in North America on March 27th.

“We’ve created a game for the Nintendo 3DS platform that includes everything players love about The Sims like build and buy mode, Create a Sim and more in order for them to have the richest experience possible in a 3D environment,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio. “The Nintendo 3DS system is a highly anticipated launch for players across the globe, and we’re ecstatic that The Sims 3 will be one of the first games available for people to play.”

From the critically-acclaimed studio behind The Sims 3, The Sims 3 for the 3DS has features created specifically for the Nintendo 3DS system. Fans of The Sims will no doubt have endless hours of fun in a 3D world. Tools such as the facial recognition technology allow players to create a 3D version of themselves or their friends and then place their likeness into the game as playable Sims, characters unique to The Sims. They can change their looks including different hairstyles, facial features, and outfits all using the Nintendo 3DS stylus. Additionally, The Sims 3 will use Nintendo’s StreetPass™ system that allows anyone to share characters within a range**. For the first time on a handheld system for The Sims 3, players will be able to go visit new areas away from their lot. The zones are areas that give players different destinations to explore like a gym, library and museum and each one has full buildable lots and community features to go along with them.

Karma Powers, new to The Sims 3, enable players to create beauty or be devious with their Sims’ lives. By tilting their systems, players can be mischievous and cause their Sims challenges or they can watch bags of money fall from the sky that will give their Sims all the material items they could desire. Using the handheld, players will love the ability to either cause a stink storm or release a bevy of butterflies merely by blowing into it.

The Sims 3 for the Nintendo 3DS was developed by The Sims Studio and has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about The Sims 3 games, please visit www.TheSims3.com. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com.